Rotary valve construction



March 14, 195'()` H. .BoYcE ROTARY vALvE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jue 2e, 1948 Eri.

Gtlornegs Patented Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES `PATENT -fpOFFICE ROTARY VALVE CONSTRUCTION Harry Boyce, Passaic, N. J.

Application June 26, 1948, Serial No. 35,382

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and, in particular, to rotary valve mechanisms for such engines.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved rotary valve construction for an internal combustion engine which is of superior gas tightness yet which operates with a minimum of friction or noise.

Another object is to provide a rotary valve construction for an internal combustion engine wherein the rotary valve member is surrounded by a split bearing and packing sleeve which is urged against its surrounding bore by resilient rings, thereby centering the valve member at top and bottom and causing only a light pressure to be exerted against the valve bearing.

Another object is to provide a rotary valve construction for such engines wherein centrifugal force arising during the operation of the rotary valve member assists in keeping its split bearing sleeve in contact with the walls of the valve bore in which it rotates.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the upper portion of an internal combustion engine equipped with a rotary valve mechanism, according to a preferred form of the invention, partly broken away to disclose the rotary valve member and its bearing sleeve in side elevation within the valve bore;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the rotary valve engine shown in Figure l, partly broken away 2 Claims. (Cl. 123-80) combustion engine, generally designated to show the valve rotating gearing, and still furrther broken away to show the ports within the rotary valve mechanisms;

Figure 3 is a vertical section along the broken line 3--3 in Figure 2 showing the rotary valve member in communication with the intake port;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the rotary valve member and bearing sleeve, partly in section, to disclose the internal construction thereof;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section through the rotary valve member and bearing sleeve, taken along the line 5-5 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the bearing sleeve employed in the rotary valve mechanism of this invention, with the parts slightly separated; and

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the split bearing sleeve shown in Figure 6.

The present invention is an improvement upon the rotary valve construction shown in my United States Patent No. 1,208,468 issued December 12, 1916, for Valve construction, in that it accomplishes a greater degree of gas tightness and also facilitates the rotation of the rotary valve member. The present invention provides a split bearing and packing sleeve for the rotary valve member which is resiliently urged against contact with the Walls and centrifugal force also assists in keeping the sleeve in the valve bore. The present invention centers the rotary valve member at top and bottom so that only a light pressure is exerted against the valve bearing, thus eliminating the squeaks of previous rotary valves.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figures 1 and 2 show the upper portion of an internal I 0, equipped with a rotary valve mechanism generally designated II, according to a preferred form of the invention. The internal combustion engine I includes a cylinder block generally des.-

ignated I2, only the upper portion of which is shown, having a cylinder bore I3, the inner wall I4 of which is surrounded by a cooling chamber or water jacket I having an outer wall I6 (Figure 3). Extending through the walls I5 and I6 is a threaded bore II for the reception of the threaded end I8 of a conventional spark plug I9, the central terminal of which is connected to the usual spark timing mechanism (not shown).

The cylinder block I2 for each pair of cylinders is provided with twin-branched intake passageway 2| communicating with a pair of intake ports 22 (Figure 2) leading to a pair of valve bores 24. Each valve bore 24 extends downward and has a counterbore 25 communicating with each respective cylinder bore I3. Each pair of cylinders is also provided with similar twinbranched exhaust passageway 26 communicating with a pair of exhaust ports 2'I leading to the opposite sides of the same valve bores 24 (Figure 2). into a gear chamber 28 which is closed by a bridge member 28 bolted as at 30 to the cylinder block I2. The central portion of each bridge member 29 is bored as at 3| to receive the outer race of an anti-friction bearing 32 held in place by a cap 33 bolted as at 34 to the bridge member 29. The entire assembly of bridge members 29 and their associated parts are closed by cover 35 bolted as at 36.

Journaled in the anti-friction bearing 32 is the hub 31 of a gear 38 (Figure 3) which is pinned or otherwise secured as at 39 to a rotary valve and bearing unit generally designated 40 (Figure 4). The unit 40 snugly fits the valve bore 24 se as to be rotatable therein, and also engages the annular shoulder 4I between the valve bore 40 and counterbore 25.

Each valve bore 24 at its upper end opens The rotary valve and bearing unit 46 consists ofa central approximately cylindrical tubular valve member 42 surrounded by a split bearing and packing sleeve 43 consisting of mating halves 44 and 46 having overlapping tongues 46 and recesses 41 (Figure 6 and 7) The bearing sleeve 43 and the valve member 42 are provided with aligned openings 46 and 46 (Figure 5), the latter opening into an elbow-shaped valve passageway 50 leading' downward the upper end of the cylinder bore I3. Above its junction with the cylinder bore I3, the valve member 42 is provided with a reduced diameter portion I which extends downward through the counterbore and is separated therefrom by a' bearing sleeve 62 (Figure 3). v

The valve member 42 is provided above and below the openings 46 and 49 with annular grooves 63 and 54 respectively adapted to receive split expanding rings 66 with gaps 56 therein. The valve member 42 is also provided with a chamber 61 which leads upward through a passageway 66 to a chamber 59 in the gear 36. Between the chamber 51 and the passageway 50 the valve member 42 is provided with internal side walls 60 (Figure 5). The split bearing sleeve 43 and valve member 42 are bored to receive a locating pin 6I (Figure 5) which prevents the parts from turning relatively to one another. The cap 33 is provided with a lubricant chamber 62'above the anti-friction bearing 32 and leading through it into the gear chamber 26, so that Y a supply of lubricant placed in the chamber 62 i byremoving the cap 33 works its way downward through the anti-friction bearing 32 into the gear chamber 23.

The gears 36- mesh with one'another (Figure 2) so as to be driven simultaneously up on the application of power to one of them. In order to facilitate driving the gears 36, the three lefthand cylinders in Figure 2 are slightly offset relatively to the three right-hand cylinders, and a main driving gear 63 is provided meshing with the nearest gear 36 of the three right-hand cylinders. The'gear 63 is mounted near the upper end of a vertical shaft 64, the upper end of which is journaled ina bore 65 (Figure 2) in a.`

cap 66 bolted as at 61 to a bearing bracket 66 which in turn is bolted as at 66 to the cylinder block I2. Immediately below the gear 63 the shaft 64 is journaled in a bore 10 (Figure l) L part of which extends through a bearing boss 1I. The lower end of the shaft 64 is connected through suitable and conventional gearing to the crankshaft of the engine so as to be rotated in timed relationship therewith. The cylinder bores I3 are provided with conventional pistons and connecting rods (not shown) connected to the l crankshaft in the usual way.

'I'he intake and exhaust passageways 2| and 26 are connected respectively to conventional intake and exhaust manifolds (not shown). intake manifolds are in turn connected to a suitable carburetor or other fuel mixing or atomizing device of any suitable conventional pattern,

l Athe details of which form no part of the present invention.

Inthe operation of the invention, fuel, such as gasoline,A mixed with air by the carburetor, is`

drawn into the intake passageway 2| and thence l through the ports 2z and passageway so into the upper end of each cylinder in response to the suc-- tion created by the descent of each piston 'in .each cylinder bore I3. 'I'he valve units 40 are so arranged in the valve bores 24 in conjunc- The 4 tion with the gears 36 and 63 that the ports or openings 46 and 46 in the valve member 42 and sleeve 43 respectively arrive opposite their ports 22 to draw in a fuel gas charge at the proper spark timing mechanism energizes the spark plug terminal 26 with high tension electricity, causing a spark to jump between its electrodes and isniting the compressed charge in the upper end of the cylinder bore I3. The charge thereupon explodes and forces the piston downward, causing the crankshaft and shaft 64 to rotate until the valve unit openings 49 and 48 arrive opposite the exhaust ports 21 as the piston reaches the bottom of its stroke. As the piston moves upward, it forces the burnt gases out through the exhaust ports 21 and exhaust passageways 26 into the exhaust manifold and thence to the conventional muiiier, if used. This cycle repeats itself indefinitely as long as fuel and electricity are supplied to the motor.

Thus, the invention provides Va four cycle motor with a rotary valve mechanism which is eilicient and dependable. The split spring rings 56 are u rged outward by their resilience and in turn urge the opposed halves 44 and 45 of the split bearing sleeve 43 in opposite directions into sealing contact with the valve bore 24. Centrifugal force generated during the operation of the engine by the rotation of the valve unit 40 `also urges the sleeve halves 44 and 45 outward away from one another, enhancing the resilience of the split rings 56. I

What I claim is:

1.' A rotary valve construction for an internal combustion engine having a rotary shaft and a cylinder with a valve bore and spaced intake and exhaust ports, said valve construction comprising a rotary valve 'member rotatably mounted in said valve bore and having a passageway therein selectively connecting said cylinder to said ports in response to the rotation of said valve member, mechanism operatively connecting said valve -member with said shaft for rotation in timed relationship therewith, a split sleeve having complementary separable halves with overla ing stepped end portions disposed between said alve bore and said valve member and encirclinf said valve member, and a resilient sleeve expander disposed between said valve member and said sleeve, said sleeve expander comprising an annular spring member encircling said valve member plementary separable halves with overlapping stepped end portions disposed between said valve bore and said valve member and encircling 'said valve member, and a resilient sleeve expander disposed between said valve member and said sleeve, said sleeve expander comprising a pair of longitu- 5 6 dinally-spaced annular spring members encircling NITE TES said valve member and engaging and urging said U D STA PATENTS sleeve outward. Number Name Date HARRY BOYCE, 1,208,468 Boyce Dec. 12, 1916 1,292,597 Gill Jan. 28, 1919 REFERENCES CITED 1,442,523 lGoby Jan. 16, 1923 1,711,781 Gibson et al. May 7, 1929 The following references are of record in the le of this patent: 

